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Darla Moore School of Business

  • Image of Jasmine Brooks in Central Park and with her fellow bandmates in the Carolina Band

    Jasmine Brooks in Central Park and with her fellow bandmates in the Carolina Band in New York City

A marching legacy — 50 years in the making

Marketing student, Carolina Band clarinetist marches in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Moore School marketing student Jasmine Brooks, ’26, had a special connection to November’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — her grandfather marched in the same parade 50 years ago.

"It was pretty cool to be able to also partake in the same parade,” says Brooks, who is also minoring in studio art. “Every time I think about it, it makes me proud. I’ve always wanted to be in the Macy’s parade and never knew he was in it, so it was kind of cool to be able to share this experience."

While her grandfather was part of the drumline, Brooks plays clarinet in the USC Carolina Band, which she joined as a freshman. When her grandfather found out she would be performing, he texted her with pride.

“He told me he marched in 1974 with his drum corps and told me it was his 50th anniversary of being in the parade,” Brooks says.

In 2024 for Brooks and her fellow bandmates, the months leading up to the parade were challenging, as the band had to prepare for both the Macy's parade and weekly shows.

 "We had to focus on memorizing the music for the parade but also our shows every week — it was really tiring," Brooks says.

The night before the parade, Brooks planned to stay up all night but ended up taking a short nap before rehearsal.

“Initially, I was going to pull an all-nighter for the parade since we had to be up at 1 a.m. the day of the parade,” she says. “The practice before the parade was pretty easy; we just did the same as we always do on the field to prepare for the real thing.”

Although it was cold and rainy on parade day, Brooks credits the early practice for preparing the band for the weather during the actual parade.

“It was cold and slightly raining so it was a little difficult, but it prepared us for later,” she says. “Mentally, I would say I felt the same as every performance since joining marching band in high school — slight nerves, but once I start playing, I’m calm."

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade garners more than 50 million TV viewers and 3.5 million attendees. Many celebrities and renowned brands soar impressive floats down the parade path, hoping to be a highlight of the day. Songstress CoCo Jones performed at the 2024 Macy’s parade, and the band got to interact with her briefly — a memorable moment for Brooks.

"Being able to take part in the parade that I've watched every Thanksgiving for years was an awesome experience," she says. "Seeing all the floats and performers like the Disney float, T-Pain and CoCo Jones — she walked past us, and we were yelling her name, and she waved toward us. That was memorable."

Recognizing the parade’s big names and brands, Brooks also found the parade to be valuable in her marketing learning experience — emphasizing the new perspective of seeing behind the scenes and being a part of the experience.

 "Being a marketing student has made me more analytical of how products and brands market themselves, especially with the floats and what entertainers they aligned with their brands," she says.

While marching toe-to-toe with celebrities, the Carolina Band had to pivot the morning of the parade when there was a last-minute adjustment to change their step size for the march into Herald Square, a major commercial intersection in Manhattan.

"We had to change our step size for our march into Herald Square,” she says. “That was the only change I can think of because it was so last minute that we had to ensure that we got it right.”

Despite that last-minute adjustment, the band’s performance was a success and was energized by the support of Gamecock fans.

"I think the screams of the Gamecock fans on the sidelines kept me energized because it shows just how much they support us and our journey," she says.

Afterward, Brooks was filled with gratitude and astonishment — today, she’s still trying to wrap her head around the surreal experience.

"After the parade, I felt like it never happened, and the whole trip flew by,” she says. “But heading to Clemson for a game and getting to play following the parade was nice. I feel like I was on cloud nine."

-Christian Osborne


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